Rognons De Veau Aux Champignons – In other words, easy sautéed veal kidneys with mushrooms and shallots in a white wine sauce. Now we’re talking home style comfort food for any day of the week.
This is one of the many quick and easy dishes my grandmother would prepare when she came across the freshest veal kidneys.
I can understand where kidneys might be an acquired taste (like calf’s liver) but you are seriously missing out on a dish that is quintessential French country cuisine. It’s all in the preparation right? It is!
Sautéed Veal Kidneys: The Dolly Madison Connection
Sliced as thin as possible, drenched in seasoned flour and sautéed in high fat content butter, kidney pieces becomes tender little morsels of meat.
Mix it all together with a mushroom/shallot blend and you have a dish worthy of being on Madison’s menus for entertaining.
If Dolly served Veal Kidney Dijonnaise to her Montpelier, Virginia guests how awful can they taste?
I love Chef Walter’s Taste of History series. In video number 5 of the series (episode 5 can be purchased independently), Chef Walter cooks up a hearty meal of kidneys, artichokes and other delicious dishes.
A Recipe Much Like Mine!
Guaranteed that my recipe has fewer ingredients than the one above but the historical version is going to go on the menu soon. On buttery mashed potatoes.
You will rarely find kidneys in the meat counter at regular supermarkets in my Virginia neighborhood. But I noticed them from afar last week while shopping at Wegmans®!
With their delicate flavor, kidneys from a milk fed veal calf are the absolute best.
They should be a medium rose color not dark red like liver. Dark red kidneys are beef and they do not taste the same at all!
I only bought one veal kidney because I figured to be the only one eating them for dinner. I was right. Yet, he’ll eat steak and kidney pie without ever questioning the ingredients! Go figure.
You can use veal stock instead of white wine or an equal amount of chicken stock.
Butchers in small French country markets often do not remove the thin membrane surrounding the kidney or the fatty center portion. The meat then has to be prepped first.
In the United States, I have yet to see veal kidneys that have not been “cleaned” of all membranes and fat. Vacuum sealed meat is ready to use.
The recipe is so simple that it was easier to make it a “visual” presentation. You can see how the few ingredients come together to make a tasty dish!
[tasty-recipe id=”15421″]
Cooking Offal Recipes
The idea of preparing and eating offal may be quite repulsive to many but some of the tastiest and most traditional French comfort food recipes are prepared with offal cuts. Hearts, liver, kidneys and more prepared in classic recipes grace the menu in countless restaurants and bistros.
Want to treat me to a special meal? Sauté an andouillette for me. Right next to that… a slice of fois gras. A fresh baguette and a glass of wine.
On a recent trip to France for a milestone birthday, my mother’s 85 year old childhood friend prepared a celebration dinner in my honor. Her choice for the main course? In her words it was “something that would remind me of home” – beef tongue!
The same is true in American cuisine. Beef tongue along liver and onions are popular in the United States and all over Europe. Pig’s feet is comfort food in more places than I can mention here. What about giblet gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey?
Case in point… my Dad’s favorite Pennsylvania soup is Philadelphia Pepper Pot – made with beef tripe. Campbell’s® does not sell it in cans anymore but if you’d like to try it, here is my recipe for pepper pot. What about headcheese? On rye slathered with Dijon mustard? Yum!
In other words, don’t be afraid to cook the “odd bits”.